Alcohol consumption and related comorbid conditions: health state utilities for economic evaluation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Project Summary/Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a social and health environment that is previously unknown in scopeand magnitude. Health effects include mild to severe infection with SARS-coV-2; psychological trauma fromliving through a pandemic, including anxiety and depression; emotional stress from unemployment, foodinsecurity, and caretaking; and diminished social well-being due to physical distancing and restrictions inmovement. At the same time, alcohol sales have been increasing, and many states have protected access toalcohol through declaring restaurants and liquor stores as essential businesses and authorizing off-premisealcohol deliveries, mixed drinks to-go, and curbside pickup. The interplay between alcohol consumption andthe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are as yet unknown: consumption may be changing in response toCOVID-19 circumstances and hazardous drinking may be increasing with negative consequences on healthand well-being, or consumption changes may be limited to the low-risk end of the spectrum with little or noeffect on well-being. This study will conduct 3 successive cross-sectional surveys of a US populationrepresentative sample to assess alcohol consumption, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and COVID-related conditions at an individual level. The resultant dataset will allow for estimates of the associationbetween alcohol consumption and HRQoL while under different conditions of COVID-19 experiences. It willallow examination of potential heterogeneity across population subgroups-varying COVID-19 conditions,varying consumption, and varying effects of the two. The study will also compare pre and during COVIDconsumption and HRQoL using prior US data from NESARC-III as a baseline, reflecting population patterns inthe 2013-14 period. As the COVID-19 pandemic is a highly dynamic situation, it is important to collect USpopulation data now to inform behavior in the early stages of response. Our results will inform alcohol policyand will enable accurate evaluation of alcohol interventions in light of the ongoing pandemic.